This Day We Fight
by PhoenixCycle
Summary: "I am the flame of the phoenix." The Hogwartians have lost the second battle of Hogwarts, and are now in hiding, training their children to fight back in the prestigious, yet secretive, Phoenix Academy. Lily Potter, eager to take down Death Eaters, joins the Academy and the fight against Voldemort and his followers. However, Death Eaters are just as eager to take her down as well.
1. Prologue

**I only wish I could own Harry Potter. But I don't.**

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Prologue

Harry was running, slamming the door open in his hurry to get in.

"Please don't do this," he begged his youngest daughter. But she was already packed, a small rucksack around her neck. It most likely perused an Undetectable Extension Charm, he knew, and carried most anything important to her. She was holding her wand firmly, a determined look on her face.

"Dad, you know I want to," she told him, and he was shaking, though through grief or anger he did not know. His wife, Ginny, looked up at him, the sense of foreboding shared between them.

"You could stay with us," he said, desperate, "Fight for the cause in a different way."

He was the leader of the revolution against Voldemort, always had been, the Weasleys by his side, but it wasn't enough. He had lost his son to Death Eaters, and students besides, and he would not lose his daughter.

"James died for the cause," she said strongly. "I will not cower away from it." She would have been a Gryffindor, if they had followed the old ways. But children of revolutionaries didn't go to Hogwarts anymore.

"James was stronger than you," Ginny told her. "He learned more than you."

" And that's why I have to go to the Phoenix Academy!" Lily said, fire in her brown eyes. "I need to learn how to fight."

"And if you die, what then?" Harry asked, choking up at the thought. "We lost one child to them, and I will not outlive another."

"There is no assurance that anyone can make that we will live to see tomorrow," she reminded him. "I plan to take down as many Death Eaters as possible if I go down." Harry could see that there was no changing her mind.

He sighed, and couldn't help but think she was so much like her mother then. "You can go," He said, and she grinned in excitement. "On one condition, however." She did not stop grinning. "If you do not make it past the first round of eliminations, then you come back home and become a Healer."

"Done," she answered, that cocky grin still on her face. She was confident she could make the cut.

"Then go," he said, feeling so much older than he was. Lily, his youngest daughter, going off to learn how to fight, how to kill... it made him wish he had had the foresight to have found the diadem faster, had destroyed the cup before it had been seized, to have killed the snake. But now, they were with Voldemort, and he guarded them closer than ever.

Ginny pressed the coin, an enchanted golden Galleon, into Lily's palm. It had the same concept as the old Dumbledore's Army coins, combined with the abilities of a Portkey. It was her enrollment form and means of communication rolled into one.

Harry and Ginny hugged their youngest child together, tears pouring shamelessly down both their faces.

"Go," Ginny said. "Fight for what's right. And be safe." She released her daughter.

"Stay safe," Harry echoed, wishing that she was a little red-haired girl going off to Hogwarts for the first time, rather than a teenager that was being sent to the place where she would learn to face Death itself.

"I am the flame of the phoenix," Lily Luna Potter said, clutching the coin, and disappeared.

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**Hello! Thank you for reading thus far. Please review, I would very much like the feedback, and I will try to reply to as many as I can.**

**And, by the way, kudos to whoever knows where I got the title from.**

**-PhoenixCycle**


	2. Chapter 1: Orientation

**I only wish I could own Harry Potter. But I don't. Thank you to JullietteJones for editing this.**

Chapter 1: Orientation

The Phoenix Academy was in the old Ministry of Magic complex, though the place had long since lost its former glory. That did not, however, mean that security was any less stressed. If anything, the management was downright paranoid. This place was one of the safest places is in the world.

Which is why I was wondering why I was in a red, easily spotted, flimsy telephone booth.

"Please hand over your wand into the slot," a voice from who-knows-where requested.

I started. The disembodied voice was one I recognized, a gruff man's, my dad's. The magic must have recognized that I was a witch.

_'Really?' _I thought as I handed over her wand into the machine slot reluctantly. I hated being without my wand. James had always told me keep it within reach.

The machine beeped, and a ticket slipped its way out of the same slot:

_One wand: Aspen with dragon heartstring, 11 and half inches, hard, to be returned._

"Thanks," I muttered, missing my wand's familiar weight already. Now what?

I let out a surprised yelp as I suddenly felt the familiar rush of Floo powder, and materialized in a hallway with a _whoosh _of green fire.

I had dreamed of being here before. The Atrium: I was really here.

I let out a sigh, looking up at the high-domed ceiling. It was almost exactly how Dad had described it. The sheer amount of people walking around astounded me. Like most of the people here, I had grown up in the village, learning anything from magic to hand-to-hand combat from miscellaneous teachers, who rarely gave us grades. Academic success was nothing. Survival was essential.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A deep voice rumbled beside my ear. "Lily Potter."

I yelled and spun, shouting, "Orbis!" expecting to see whoever it was sucked into the ground up to their necks, but it was useless. I didn't have my wand.

"Lily, it's me, Teddy," The blue haired man raised his hands defensively. My dad's godson stood in front of me. "I heard we were having a new batch of students today, and I decided to check in on it. After all, I," he gestured at himself with a flourish, "will be leading the orientation today."

I relaxed. I wasn't going to be held responsible for leading Death Eaters into Phoenix Academy. "Am I the first one here?" I asked, brushing ashes off my clothes, trying to keep my dignity intact, though unsuccessfully. Quite a few people were staring at me.

"Yes, you are. We're expecting much more though. Enrollment is getting larger every year." The words went unspoken: our situation was getting more dire every year.

As if on cue, another _whoosh _announced the arrival of another student. Only a flash of red hair was visible before the dust cleared, revealing Hugo Weasley.

"Li-Lily!" He exclaimed, coughing. "Oh, I really hate Floo Powder, you know that?" He shook his head, ash flying from his hair.

"Hey, Hugo!" I said. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," he said, brushing off his hands, sending a cloud of black _stuff _in the air. "What was my biggest fear as a child?" The security question system had long since become routine.

"You were afraid of the dark," I replied, "and had a nightlight until you were eleven."

"Good," he said, though the tips of his ears turned red in embarrassment. "I'd rather not have you accused of using the Polyjuice Potion and then having you arrested, and then being left alone, and then failing, and then-"

"Are you nervous, Hugo?" I cut him off, hiding a smile.

"Sorta- kind of- yeah." He smiled sheepishly. "How did you know?"

"You're rambling. You're even worse than Rose at lying," I snickered.

"Not something to be ashamed of, in my opinion. But I really am nervous."

"If you're really so worried, just trust me, we'll be fine. We're the last Weasleys of the second generation. We've got to live up to the name, don't we?" I smiled wryly, hoping that he recognized my sarcasm.

"That's really not helping, Lily, you realize?" Hugo pointed out in deadpan tone, but his lips twitched.

"I may not be trying to help you," I said in a mock-ominous tone.

"You love me too much to let that happen," he said.

I laughed.

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"I'm glad all of you are here," Teddy said in a bored, cordial tone, looking over us in a way he thought disguised the way he was criticizing us in his head but was really easy to see through. "I will be guiding you through the premises today, in the hopes you will not get lost within the building. Though you'll probably get lost anyway."

"Such a show of compassion," I muttered under my breath. I looked around. I knew almost everyone here. We had all been confined to the same village for our entire lives.

"So, if you'll just go through the golden gates and enter the lift on the far left, we should be good to go." Teddy smiled smarmily as he momentarily borrowed a tour guide's voice.

I took a quick headcount- and lost count at over fifty people. How on earth were we all going to fit in?

Then again, magic. As we walked in, space seemed less and less of an issue.

"It's bigger on the inside," Hugo whispered to me, and we shared a slight laugh. Aunt Hermione loved that show.

The lift descended smoothly, almost gliding up and down an invisible shaft.

"Level Ten is the library, so if you need to do research, go there," Teddy lectured as we descended. "And Level Nine is off-limits."

"What's in there?" Lorcan Scamander, a blond-haired boy who just happened to be my god-brother, asked.

"It's the Department of Mysteries, idiot," his twin brother, Lysander, replied. "It's the only place that's been completely untouched by us. Don't you ever read?"

Teddy ignored the interruption, as if he was used to being cut off during this part of the orientation. "You also are not allowed on Level One until you graduate. That's the prison." As if anyone would want to go down there.

"Level Seven, Administration," He said as we passed a large expanse of cubicles. "Later, you'll go there for assignments, and reprimands. Reprimands meaning that Mr. Potter is chewing you out, and that's dangerous territory." We kept going down.

"Level Six, Transportation, Intelligence, and Communications." We passed a huge Owlery and flying letters, while people scanned them at desks, filing and reading with lightning efficiency. Dad had said if I failed the first round of eliminations, I would have to do that kind of thing. Well that sounded incredibly dull. If I was going to have to do that if I failed, I was determined not to.

"Level Five, Research," He continued blithely. A loud bang was heard, and someone shouted, "Eureka!"

A handful of people uncertainly raised their hands halfway. It was obvious that they wanted that catchphrase explained.

"They say that a lot," Teddy explained, shrugging as if to say '_What are you going to do?_' The people who had raised their hands lowered them in mild discomfort.

"Level Four, Healing Wing," Teddy said as we passed a white, pristine hallway. "Now's the part you actually pay attention to." Obediently, the others in the elevator turned to face him, vacant expressions mostly gone from their faces. "If you get injured, you come here. But, for Merlin's sake, use _Episkey _for mild injuries, _please._" Teddy tried to discreetly roll his eyes in exasperation, but I knew him too well.

"Level Three, Dormitories. Class 2009, which is you guys," he gestured, "Is the third section on the fourth quadrant. There are three to a room, and names are marked on the door; and no, the rooms are _not _co-ed, thank you very much."

Teddy took a deep breath. He was most likely resigning himself to the fact that not everyone heard the last bit.

"Alright, this is level Two, the training room. The East wing is for people who've already graduated, while the West wing is for the trainees. That means you guys. Try not to interfere much with the graduates; most of them can pummel you."

He stepped out of the lift, indicating for us to follow. We did, walking in a not-so-orderly fashion out of the lift. He turned left, leading to a corridor with three doors spaced out every ten meters or so. We kept walking, all the way down to the last door.

I hung back, hoping that if I waited this out, I wouldn't be stampeded. Unfortunately, Teddy had to add another layer to the chaos.

"Alright, your wands are all laid out on a table in the room. Try not to injure anyone as you go in."

All of us practically sprinted in, clamoring for our wands, almost feral. In our defense, we had grown up in wartime- paranoia was bred into us.

I spotted my wand at the very end of the table, the light wood standing out between a fir wand and Hugo's cypress one.

I made a beeline toward, elbowing my way through the crowd around the table. Grabbing it, I backpedaled, glad that my wand was at the end and not smack in the middle.

I sighed as I gripped it tightly, leaning against the wall outside the chaotic crowd. I always felt secure with my weapon in my hand.

"Welcome to your first day of training." Our Defense instructor wasn't that much older than we were just nineteen. I was sure I recognized him from somewhere, but all I could connect him with was Albus.

"And that's the last bit of pleasantry you're going to get. Death Eaters don't exactly say sorry every time they put you under the Cruciatus curse." His voice was brisk, clear, and he articulated every syllable. "I am Scorpius Malfoy."

Scorpius Malfoy, eh? No wonder I knew him from somewhere. My dad ranted about him all the time. He was his protégée, a genius with martial magic. He was also Albus' best friend, though despite the fact he knew my brother, I rarely met him.

"Malfoy?" The girl next to me, Hannah Adair, whispered conspicuously, "As in Draco Malfoy?" I shifted uncomfortably. Did she have to break the silence with _that_? Surely he would hear her, and I doubted he would take it well.

"You there." Malfoy pointed at the brown-haired, blue-eyed girl, a tense look on his face. "What's your name?"

"Adair," she replied, her feet planted and chin up with pride. "Hannah Adair."

"Well, Adair, you would be absolutely correct in your assumptions." He said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," She said with a tint of sarcasm.

"It wasn't meant to be a compliment," He replied coolly. Then, with an almost imperceptible flick of his wand, he sent a Stunning spell at her.

"Protego!" Out of reflex, I sent a shield charm in front of Adair, whose eyes were wide in astonishment, barely drawing her wand. The shield deflected the spell, which dissipated in the air.

"Impressive," Malfoy said, barely raising an eyebrow. Did ever show _any _emotion? He turned to Hannah. "If it weren't for her, you'd be knocked out and defenseless. Sharpen your reflexes, or it'd be a Killing Curse when you really go out on the field."

We stood in stony silence. This was getting more real by the minute.

"Okay," Scorpius continued as if nothing had happened. "Here's how training works. You will have three subjects. The first is Spells, taught by Albus Potter and Rose Weasley, who are not present at the moment. The second is Muggle fighting, taught by Cohen Devin, Teddy Lupin, and Dominique Weasley. The last is something we like to call Whatever Works, taught by Luna Scamander and myself. You're given a problem, and you solve it, with whatever and whoever you can."

He started pacing up and down the room. "At the end of each week, you are given an exam. It is essentially Whatever Works, but with higher stakes. You fail one, and you're out of the fighting force, at least for official missions. Go to Healing or Research or Communications, it doesn't matter to me. The point is that if you want to fight, you're going to have to pass those exams. After six weeks, you're done with everything, and you begin getting assignments."

"However, I must be very clear that this is not a competition. This is a qualifier to see whether we have a competent force. The whole purpose of this academy is to fight back against the Tom Riddle and the Death Eaters. Is that clear?"

There was general murmured consent.

"Good." He smiled grimly. "Let us begin the lesson. It's just me for now, but I think I'll be able to handle you all. Now, there are targets on the wall, I want you to practice basic aim, whatever spell you wish to use..."

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I found myself sharing a room with a certain Hannah Adair and Jian Clark, though we all barely noticed each other when we collapsed on the beds, sweating through the sheets, our fingers still gripping our wands out of muscle memory.

"I swear, Lupin was almost smiling when he made us do that three-mile run in less than thirty minutes," Hannah muttered angrily. Muggle fighting had left us ragged.

"And then the agility stuff," Jian Clark, a half-Chinese and half British girl, was rubbing her shoulder where she had been hit multiple times by a Stinging hex. "I'm going to need to learn a better shield charm."

I was nursing several minor injuries myself. My knees were bruised from a particularly vicious Tripping jinx and I found myself humming random tunes from a Singing charm.

"Hello," Hannah said suddenly, breaking the silence. "I'm Hannah Adair. Gobbledegook ash lip balm."

We looked at her strangely.

"We already know that," I pointed out. "And what on earth was that last bit?"

"Babbling hex," she explained. "But it's not unpleasant. I get to insult people and they blame it on the hex. I like that." She smiled, twirling her wand between her fingers. "All of this, the training, I like it. I enjoy challenges."

"I like the fact we're getting to do something," I said thoughtfully. "The Death Eaters won't know what hit them." With a pang, I thought of James. They would regret that.

"You guys don't seem half as annoying as I'd feared my roommates would be," Jian confessed. "I think we'll all do well."

"To us succeeding and kicking some Death Eater butt," Hannah said, shooting some water in the air. "And not being half as annoying as we could be."

I half smirked, half smiled. I always loved a challenge, and this would be an ample one.

**Thank you all so much for reviewing and reading! Please continue with the reviews, they are wonderful.**

**Guest: Thanks for the compliment. Yeah, the name for the Phoenix Academy came from the Order of the Phoenix, and I went from there.**

**Slytherin at Heart1025 and Calming Mist: Thanks as well. I was a little reluctant to kill off James as well, but that will come up a bunch of times later, especially in Lily and Albus' relationship and in motivating Lily. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.**

**DestielSlytherlockdInTheTardis: Thanks for being my first reviewer! I appreciate it very much and I'm glad you like my idea.**

**If you're wondering, I got the quote for the title came from Aragorn, who is in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King-**

**"Hold your ground! Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers,  
I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.  
A day may come when the courage of men fails,  
When we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship,  
But it is not this day.  
An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down,  
But it is not this day!  
****This day we fight!****  
By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,  
I bid you stand, Men of the West!"**

**-PhoenixCycle**


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